next week sees the vice president presidential debate before we get two more presidential debates. one of the major issues is it that looming fiscal cliff. president obama challenged mitt romney on his plans for cutting the nation's debt. >> when i got on to the stage, i met this very spirited fellow who claimed to be mitt romney. but it couldn't have been mitt romney because the real hit romney has been running around the country for the last year promising $5 trillion in tax cuts that favor the wealthy. the fell wloe on stage last night said he didn't know anything about that. >> the president's vision is trickle down government and i don't think that's what america believes in. i see instead a prosperity that comes through freedom. >> president of the committee for responsible federal budget, director of the fiscal policy program, as well, and joins us now. have you heard anything -- have you heard enough of of a commitment from either side of the aisle that you thought might actually work? >> well, what we didn't hear was enough specifics. so i think the good news is that that